Hi Lisaloveshearts. It's good to see you posting here. I am impressed with your 26lb weight loss. I struggle for every pound it seems. When I first started Metformin I lost 20 lbs rather quickly and I have pretty much maintained that loss but it's not so easy now. Come back again and tell us more about yourself. Trish and I get very gabby, and you learn a lot about us quickly. LOL

Trish, I also walk quickly when I'm shopping, especially in Walmart. I know where everything is and go right to them. Not much browsing. I didn't get any exercise done today. The medical seminar was ok. To me, it sounds like they are trying to drum up business. They told me I might have a hernia but only a CT scan would tell for sure. I don't think I will go for that unless it starts to bother me. I have had this for a few years but no pain. My PCP doesn't think it's a hernia, but just a weakening of the abdominal wall.

Since we got home we've just been sitting around waiting for step-son and family to come. I didn't want to be exercising when they came. They finally called and said they would be here around 4:30-5:00. I thought they planned on coming in the afternoon. We live a completely different lifestyle from them, and this is probably still afternoon to them. LOL We were planning on going out for dinner but it's going to be late, so I have no idea where we will go. We like to go early because we hate crowds. We will probably be in bed by the time they eat dinner.

I don't like fruit enough to eat that for a meal, but DH does it often. He loves fruit. To me, fruit is just a little snack.

Carol Sue You will probably find this amusing. I was looking for the worksheet/form that DH made years ago for daily recording of each food group etc. While looking through my stuff, I found a little notebook with notes I made from the Readers Digest book you and I have called Magic Foods for Better Blood Sugar. I opened the notebook to see what I wrote and my notes look almost exactly like the notes I shared with y'all yesterday from the Mediterranean Diet book. LOL You don't have to buy the Mediterranean Diet book for Dummies, just read the Magic Foods for Better Blood Sugar.

I know you don't like fruit for a meal, but you like veggies and the Low carb diet book for dummies suggests having a fruit with protein or having veggies with hummus etc. So you don't have to eat the fruit.

I'm thinking about eating fruit with Greek Yogurt for breakfast. Eat my regular meal with DH and then have a snack of what I call finger salad of veggies with hummus. I think that would be sufficient. I really need to work at shrinking my stomach.

You step son and his family sound my sister and her family who lives in MS. They have no sense of time and it is nothing for them to be eating supper around 9 or 10 at night. I hope you got to go eat somewhere good. DH and my anniversary is next weekend. We plan to go to Texas Roadhouse for a prime rib steak. I think my DS and her DH want to go with us so I'm sure Daddy, DS and DBIL will be going with us sometime this next week or so to celebrate. I think it is really any excuse to go out.

DH had to wipe my pc clean and is now putting things back on it. I told him not to use any of my back up stuff because there must be a virus in one of them. We will just add back what I want from discs or on line. I just hope it works and I will be back online with it tomorrow.

Rennie, fatmad, Lisa, and Nikki Y'all have a great evening and Sunday.

I am very happy to post in this forum. I am 50 yrs old. I am single, never married. I have a brilliant, beautiful 24 yr old daughter.

I have recently moved from Ohio to the PNW. I'll tell you bits about myself, if you don't mind.

I am currently at 310, down 26 lbs. I actually think I was in the 340s when I started my Metformin but it doesn't really matter. I am doing well, that is what is most important.
I, too, am on a low carb diet and doing pretty good, not perfect but pretty good.
I don't do long posts. So I am sorry about that.
I get quiet so I am short and to the point.

My cell charger bit the big one 2 days ago so I wrapped it up with scotch tape. Tonight, I broke down and got another one.

lisaloveshearts, that's a big step to make, for a single woman to move across the country like that. Was it a work related move? I will be 72 on Wednesday, and I have lived in PA all my life. In Philadelphia for 7 years and Pittsburgh for the remainder. So my life has been pretty boring. LOL I've visited other parts of the country, but home is home. That's great that you have a good relationship with your daughter. Since I was a child I wanted a daughter. I only got a step-daughter and we struggle to be close. The close relationship just wasn't there.

I have heard it said that if you stay on plan 80% of the time you are doing good. I think you can consider yourself in that category. Keep going!!!

Do you exercise? That's really good for blood sugar, too, especially just walking. I struggle to get my exercise in. I hate the thought of it, but then after I get started I like it and feel much better afterwards. It also helps me stay on plan because I figure I don't want to eat unhealthy food and undo the benefits I got from the exercise. I do low intensity. I think it's better than none at all.

Trish, every time you mention one of the books we have I get mine out and look through it a bit, like a refresher. I think I have taken bits and pieces from each book and that's how I've come up with my plan I like to follow. Yesterday I was skimming through the Low Carb For Dummies book. I came across the part where she says to eat the low fat version whenever you can. We still buy skim milk, but I really don't like most low fat foods. I read labels and consider the fat content of foods, but rarely buy things labeled low fat. I have started buying Cabot Plain Greek Yogurt. I first bought the full fat version and like it, but the one clerk in the store recommended I buy the low fat once when they were out of the full fat. It just didn't have the same flavor and I didn't really like it, so I dumped it out. It actually got mold in it because I just wasn't eating it. I want to have yogurt on my menu for the probiotic benefits, and what good is it if I don't eat it? I think I'm better off to eat the full fat that I like and get the probiotic effects rather than to pass on it because I don't like the taste. I have a cannister of chocolate sugar free coffee creamer that I bought and didn't like in my coffee. I mix some of it in the yogurt for a treat. That coffee creamer was discontinued, so when that's gone I will try using diet hot chocolate mix. I also add some dill dip mix to the yogurt to use with veggies. It's versatile. I have tried a couple times to make onion dip, but was not successful. I don't know if there's a mix for that. I will have to check in Walmart. That's where I get the dill dip mix.

I ate more than I planned on the past two days. It was just circumstances. When my step son and family were here yesterday I made brownies and I ate 4 or them. Normally I pass on sweets but I was so hungry since they came at our dinner time. They were here to celebrate his and my birthdays. I would have had them over for dinner but we eat so differently. Thanksgiving is ok because everyone eats turkey, but otherwise our food choices are completely different. It's mostly DH putting the cog in the wheel. They like things like wings and ribs that he would never eat. Even my 9 year old grandson eats like they do. At 5 years old you could see him nawing on a rib bone. LOL Yesterday they were at Sam's club and bought him some sushi. LOL So when they finally left it was after 6. They were headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for his birthday dinner. We wanted to go to Bob Evans because they serve more homestyle cooking, but they were so crowded we went next door and had the salad bar. That was better for my calorie count, anyway. So even going over a bit on calories I am only up 1/2 lb so I'm happy about that. I am at 200.5. Had I stayed on plan I would probably be in Onederland, but tomorrow is another day. I sent the brownies home with them, so it's free sailing now. We might go to Bob Evans today as we will go earlier before it gets crowded, or we might go to this other restaurant where they have stuffed pork chops or chicken breast every Sunday. We will go to Tx Roadhouse during the week for my birthday dinner, but we have a gift card and a coupon so it will be $0 cost to us.

We were so tired last night and ended up in bed at 8:45. LOL So I woke up early. I like to get up early and read for a while before DH gets up. He rarely gets up before 9.

When I first got up early this morning I tested and FBG was 183. I did not take meds because I had not fixed my pill box for the week. I ate 1 hard boiled egg while I was up. I read for a while then went back to bed at 7:30. I fell back to sleep and slept until 11 AM. Got up and tested again and it's 155. I'm going to take my Metformin, but skip the AM Glimiperide and see what happens by supper time. During that time I will be going to Walmart and getting in some walking so I want to see if it continues down.

I had a dream that I was on "the beachtrain." LOL It was a train that takes you out to the beach. I have no idea where it started out, but it put me in a happy mood.

I have to stay off the computer for a while because my hands are hurting. I just realized I skipped my Tumeric yesterday. See? I really do need that stuff. I will take it before I leave. I sure hope it's not raising blood sugar.

Carol Sue I didn't do really great the last few days either. I think it is because I like starting a new plan or woe on Sunday. So I changed my weight on MFP to start with today's weight. Not happy with myself but today is a new day.

I set my calories for 1600. Not going to worry too much about portions of carbs, protein and fat. I am going to try to watch them but not worry about them as long as I stay under the settings I have set on MFP. I actually planned today's food plan so I can have some of the foods that I like and going to get into a routine. I did have the Greek yogurt and banana with some blueberries mixed in as part of my breakfast. I had the 1/4 avocado with an 2 eggs and I cooked a pork chop I had that DH doesn't really like and cut it off the bone and cut all the fat off of it and mixed all that together. I had the Greek yogurt mix first with a cup of coffee around 10am and then had the eggs mixture around 11am. I will plan to have our main meal exactly 5 hrs later at 3pm. I will have a snack around 5:30 and make a rule for myself to not eat anything else after 6pm.

My computer froze and posted before I was ready so I will finish.

I got an article from WebMD on ACV. It said to take 1 Tbs with meals each day, but not to take more than 2 Tbls a day. So I drank one before breakfast and I will take another one before main meal. I really can't tell if the cinnamon is working, but won't stop it yet.

I've decided that if my A1c is anywhere within the 6 reading, I will not ask for any meds. I will just work harder at staying OP and losing the weight. FBS was 161 this morning, but I'm sure that is because of the carby junk the past 2 days. Yesterday was 155 so I think that means that I may can get by with extra carb food once in a while but NOT on a regular basis or even 2 days in a row. And then it could just be the snacking after 7pm.

I will do 20 minutes on the bike in a little bit and I am going to work at doing a minimum of 15 minutes of moderate house cleaning each day which MFP counts as exercising. And I might ad that it is also walking. LOL I do have some other exercise that I want to work into my lifestyle. I just have to figure out how and when to work it in.

I am happy to say DH got my computer working. I am only putting what I want on it. I have heard that you can have too much on it. I think it helps me to feel better to have it not so cluttered too. Hopefully it will help me get more organized in the rest of my life.

I think another problem I am having is that my Daddy believes the Lord has told him that he has until he is 95 yrs old. He is busy throwing things out and keeps telling me "I've just about got everything cleaned out. I think this is the last time I will be doing this. Y'all will be doing it next time it is done." I'm a pretty strong person, but that is very stressful for DS and me. I know this is going to happen sometime and we are blessed to still have him as long as we have, but your never ready so I'm trying to get myself ready for this as best as I can for when it does happen.

DS and I have already talked about having her daughter who is good at those things to clean everything out when the time comes as long as it isn't too hard on her. Speaking of Daddy, he should be home from Bible study so I will go call him. I might do the bike while talking to him.

Trish, I know you love your dad and do not want to lose him. That's natural. I don't know about what he is saying that God told him he has until age 95. We don't know what God told him. It's possible that he would outlive you. We don't know what lies ahead. I think all we can do is take life day by day and make the best of each day we have with each other, but be prepared for the fact that the day might come and know that it is God's plan for man that we live, and then leave our worldly life to continue on with him to a better place in Heaven. And we don't know when that day will be.

I lost my father when I was 11 years old, and my mother when I was 34. I think the longer you have your parents the harder it is on you when you lose them.

We went out to eat the stuffed pork chop. I didn't intend to eat the stuffing, but I ended up eating half of it and my blood sugar spiked. It's not the plan that is failing me, it's me that is failing the plan. I can only keep trying over and over and hope that I learn my lesson. Tomorrow is another day.

Carol Sue Yes, I agree with you. I know there is a day coming when Daddy will have to leave us. I am so thankful for this time I've had with my Daddy. When I was growing up, we were always butting heads to the point to where I wondered if he even loved me or not. It would hurt him to know that I once wondered if he was even my Daddy after all I was born during the war and he was stationed in MS at that time. Of course, he is my Daddy and the DNA my sister had done for all of us proved that to be true.

Thanks to a lot of circumstances over the years, he has nothing to leave any of us when he is gone, but at one time he had a lot of money. I remember getting mad at him one time and telling me that I didn't want any of his money and not to leave me anything because his money without a relationship with him was cold and hollow. So I am extremely glad that we have had the last few years to heal that relationship. When he is gone, I will have a year of quality memories that can never be taken from me and there isn't any money in the world that could ever buy that for me. We have been blessed. The consolation will be that I will know he is with my Mama again who he missed more and more these days and I know I'll see them both again someday.

Thank you for your encouragement.

My FBS is 162 today and was 161 yesterday. I think I just have to face the fact that I have DP. I've heard that is the harmone that wakes us up. I do know that when I wake up in the morning that it takes a few minutes for me to wake up but all of a sudden I am fully awake. Perhaps this is just part of getting me started in the morning. Yesterday afternoon I checked bs just before I had main meal and it was 120. It isn't great, but it is not bad. My weight was down to 218.4 this morning and I have to remember that when I'm losing that my FBS is up a little. So it seems to be the way my body works.

This makes me wonder, if I took something like glimiperide to bring the FBS down would that make my weight go up or stay high? Just wonder if that is the problem of taking it.

Didn't go out this morning. Daddy didn't feel like it last night. He has been cleaning out and doing things with Mama's pictures and was very low feeling missing my Mama. He would have gotten out this morning, but DS was sick this morning and with all that is going around she didn't want to take anything to him. May go out tomorrow.

DH has blood work this afternoon and then he has a 3 o'clock appointment with the eye surgeon. If we have time between appointments we will go for me to do Daddy's meds for next week otherwise we will have to go after the eye appointment. Although I'm sorry DS is sick, I am glad I didn't have to go anywhere this morning.

I didn't do exercise yesterday so I am going to try to make up for it and do the bike before we leave.

Trish, Glimiperide is known to cause weight gain. I did not gain from it, but feel that it has played a part in my inability to lose. Taking Glimiperide is not bringing my FBG down to a desirable number. I don't know why. I check AM blood sugars, but I go more by the reading during the day that the fasting. I have no clue how to lower fasting but I know that my eating and exercise takes care of the readings throughout the day. Ever since I had that low during the night I am afraid of Glimiperide. I want OFF IT, but don't want to replace it with something else. I want to control blood sugar with diet and exercise. Does your DH still take Glimiperide? How are his FBG readings? I have heard that fasting numbers are the last to come down. I don't know.

Today I exercised for 50+ minutes. I want to get back to it more regularly. I did not take any diabetes meds today. Fasting was 145. After coffee, it went up to 185. No breakfast. I ate lunch around noon, cooked veggies and a half cup of chili. The chili beans were my protein. Right after exercise it was 182. I will check it again before dinner around 4 to see if it came down. DH is having steak for dinner and I am having salmon. I don't know what sides I will make. Some veggie and potatoes for him. I can't say I won't eat potatoes, but if I do, I intend to keep the portion small. I don't want to eliminate any foods completely, but instead limit portions. My biggest obstacle is still night eating. When I stay on plan during the day, I start to feel that it's OK to have a snack. It's not OK. I need to learn that. I don't need a snack unless I am hungry.

It's time to start dinner. I will come back later and report in on what my readings were before dinner, which would be 2 hours after exercise.

Right after posting, about 1 hour or so after exercise I tested and it was 145. Tested again right before dinner and it was 135. So, without any meds at all, low carb eating and exercising was bringing my blood sugar down from 185 to 135 in 2 hours. I don't know if it would have come down any lower because at 4 I took Met and Glimiperide and ate my dinner. I had salmon, a small portion of mashed potatoes and gravy, a small portion of green peas, a half a banana with peanut butter. I ate within a 6 hour window and am finished eating for the day. I'm curious to see what BG is at bedtime and fasting in the morning.

I do not do high intensity exercise. I have a very low resting heart rate due to the meds I'm on, around 56 to 60 bpm. When I exercise, it does not go over 100.

I didn't make it through the whole evening without snacking. I had some popcorn, and at bedtime, a slice of mozzarella cheese. At bedtime my blood sugar was 148 and this morning, 148 again. I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. I want to do some exercise again, but my foot was hurting really bad during the night. It was not the same foot that was hurting the last time. This time it was the right foot, and the pain was in my arch. Now that I'm up and walked around a bit with shoes on, the pain has subsided. If I exercise, I will not do any weights. I only plan on doing the weights twice a week. Again, I want to only take the Glimiperide at dinner.

I just read an article online from Diabetes Self Management about the Dawn Phenomenon. Bottom line, different strokes for different folks. One thing that was recommended was cheese at bedtime, so maybe the cheese I had was why my fasting was the same as my bedtime reading. I don't know. The egg at bedtime worked for me, so maybe it's the combination of protein and fat. ACV at bedtime was also recommended. I also read a lot of the comments below the article, and it showed me that it's individual. There were some people who said they added starchy carbs/sugar back into their diet and it dropped their fasting numbers, like someone who told me their sister started eating a miniature Milky Way at bedtime and that lowered their fasting. I don't want to be adding sugar, as it can be a trigger for me. The whole bag of Milky Way would be gone in one day. LOL But read the article, and see what it says to you.

Blood sugar went up to 165 after coffee. It usually goes up higher than that. I did take my Metformin this morning, but no Glimiperide. No breakfast again. DH has not been making the eggs, so I'm just not eating. Not hungry. I can't decided if I should eat some veggies before exercise or do it in the fasted state. I might try that to see what happens. I am also going to go back to a short walk after dinner to see what that does. It lowered fasting readings the last time I did it. And I will eat a slice of cheese again at bedtime. This could seriously reduce my food bill. LOL

I would be so happy to see a fasting reading of 100 or less. I used to not worry about fasting because it seems to be out of my control, but that article said it IS important.

Before exercising, blood sugar was back down to 145, so it didn't stay at 165 for very long. I did not eat, did 35 min of exercise, and blood sugar is still 145. It's like my meter is stuck. LOL I could not wait around to see if it came down afterwards. I was hungry, so I am eating some cooked veggies. Cabbage, onion, parsnips, with some lentils mixed in. I don't know what that will do. It shouldn't spike, but it won't show the natural drop from exercise. I will test again before dinner.

One thing I found interesting in the article I posted. Someone said that their blood sugar went up in the morning due to dehydration. After they started drinking water before bed fasting was lower. I have always tried not to drink water before bed so I wouldn't have to get up to go to the bathroom, but I usually do, anyway. That's another thing to keep in mind.

I'm sorry to be posting so many posts, but I want to explain what I'm doing to try to figure this out, and it might help someone else.

Carol Sue Your research sounds interesting. I will check out the article later.

This a quick flyby just to stay in touch. I am not feeling up to par today. I am having a neck and headache today. I took ibuprofen and am using the tens machine and just being quiet hoping to let this pass.

FBS was 148 this morning which was interesting with what I ate yesterday. I think the exercise has helped a lot with that. Also eating only when hungry is helpful as well. Also amazing is that my weight was exactly the same.

I think the idea of drinking water just might be true. I know I'm drinking more of it now too although I didn't get to drink as much yesterday as I should have.